7-aryl and heteroaryl ethers of desacetylforskolin

A compound of formula

• wherein
• R.sub.1 and R.sub.9 taken together form a group of formula CHNR.sub.17 R.sub.18 ;
• R.sub.6 is hydrogen, a group of formula R.sub.13 CO or a group of formula CONR.sub.14 R.sub.15 ;
• R.sub.7 is phenyl, naphthyl, furanyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, purinyl, quinolinyl or isoquinolinyl, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or poly-substituted by loweralkyl, halogen or nitro;
• R.sub.13 is hydrogen or loweralkyl;
• R.sub.14 is hydrogen, loweralkyl, hydroxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxyloweralkyl, or a group of formula HOCH.sub.2 CH(OH)CH.sub.2 ;
• R.sub.15 is hydrogen, loweralkyl, hydroxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxyloweralkyl, a group of formula ##STR9## wherein s is 1 or 2, a group of formula ##STR10## a group of formula HOCH.sub.2 CH(OH)CH.sub.2, or a group of formula (CH.sub.2).sub.t NR.sub.21 R.sub.22 wherein t is an integer from 2 to 6;
• R.sub.17 and R.sub.18 are the same or different and each is loweralkyl;
• R.sub.21 and R.sub.22 are the same or different and each is loweralkyl;
• or
• R.sub.21 and R.sub.22 taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a group of formula ##STR11## wherein X is CO, O, S, CHR.sub.23 or NR.sub.24 ;
• R.sub.23 is hydrogen, loweralkyl or OR.sub.25 ;
• R.sub.24 is loweralkyl;
• R.sub.25 is hydrogen or COR.sub.26 ;
• R.sub.26 is loweralkyl;
• and
• the optical and geometric isomers thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.